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MHG66491 - Houses or stores - Holoman, Raasay

Summary

Whether the three smaller features are contemporary with the house and thus possibly used for storage etc. or whether they belong to a much earlier period before the house was built is unclear

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

A township comprising five roofed buildings, one partially roofed long building, five unroofed buildings, four enclosures and a head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1879, sheet xxx). One roofed, twelve unroofed buildings, three enclosures, a sheepfold and a head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1989).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 4 November 1996

The survey of Oskaig and Holoman was carried out by ACFA in April 1995 as part of a continuing survey of the Island of Raasay.
Sub-rectangular structure 7m by 4m.
Sub-rectangular structure 8m by 4.5m.
Sub-rectangular structure 7m by 5m. <1>

The site, which is situated above the road to Holoman, lies in an area of improved ground, now bracken covered, surrounded by bog and heather covered rocky ground. It consists of four features, a large house and three smaller ones.

Feature 36. A subrectangular feature 7m x 4m is constructed in places of dry stone walling and, at its south west end, of a stony, grass covered bank. Its eastern wall continues for a distance of 4m and peters out into the bog. There is a possible entrance facing west. Of the three smaller features this one is the most substantial.

Feature 37. A second feature is subrectangular and measures 8m x 4.5m. It is constructed of large boulders with smaller ones in between them. They are covered in vegetation. A possible entrance faces the west.

Feature 38. A third feature is really an annex to feature 37 and is the least distinct of the three. It is roughly rectangular in plan and measures 7m x 5m. It is constructed of a few large boulders and a low bank which is vegetation covered. A possible entrance once again faces west.

Whether the three smaller features are contemporary with the house and thus possibly used for storage etc. or whether they belong to a much earlier period before the house was built is unclear. Lying to the north of the site and running up to the road is an extensive area of rig. The whole area around this and the settlement to the south is surrounded by areas of rig. It would appear that the inhabitants used every possible piece of suitable ground in an effort to be self sufficient in what is a very poor area for cultivation. <2>

NGR adjusted based on 2010 vertical aerial photographs. <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5547 3990 (17m by 26m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG53NE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

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Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)